Flooding officers raise concerns over plans for dozens of homes on city outskirts |
Flood risk officers for Norfolk County Council's Lead Local Flooding Authority have objected to the scheme for 143 homes in Rackheath, calling for more information from developers over their plans.
They say without additional details on drainage design and overflow connection agreements, the new homes could pose a flooding risk.
The land for where the homes could be built (Image: Cornerstone Planning Ltd)
Norfolk Homes, the firm behind the scheme, has applied to Broadland District Council to build the homes on land east of Green Lane West in village near the city.
The six hectares of land earmarked for the scheme is currently farmland and is near the former Rackheath airfield, where almost 4,000 additional homes could also be built.
There are also plans for another scheme, submitted by Crest Nicholson, who want to build 205 homes in Green Lane West in Rackheath - including 68 affordable properties - which was approved by Broadland District Council's planning committee in 2021.
But the developers are still waiting for the final go-ahead on their reserved matters application, which outlines the finer details of how they intend to build the homes.
Meanwhile, families in the village have already been battling with flooding issues from a huge housing estate, which is currently being built along Salhouse Road.
Kayleigh Dowson's garden, submerged in water (Image: Emily-Rose Thompson)
They fear the problem will only get worse in the coming years as more homes continue to be built.
Kayleigh Dowson, who lives near the Salhouse Road development, said she has had to set aside £1,000 to install more French drains - a system that redirects surface water and groundwater away - to prevent flooding outside her home.
Over the last decade, hundreds of homes have been built in the village, resulting in it nearly doubling in size.
The area is due to expand again, with just under 500 additional homes expected to be completed by 2028.